What does this mean for employers?  First, employers should note that they were already prohibited from engaging in any type of race-based discrimination.  This new amendment, which took immediate effect when signed into law, only codifies the connection between race and certain hairstyles that were common targets for discrimination. Second, this new law does not prohibit employers from having a grooming or appearance policy in place.  However, in accordance with the new amen

In the United States, federal and state laws differ with respect to whether they explicitly prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation. The state of New York has prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation since 2003. But the federal law governing employment discrimination, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, does not list sexual orientation as a protected class. This means that it is difficult for a plaintiff-employee to bring a

The U.S. Supreme Court recently handed out a long-awaited ruling that should serve as good news for employers. The high court ruled that only someone with the power to take “tangible employment action” against a subordinate can be considered a “supervisor” in Title VII discriminations cases (race, sex, age, religion, disability, etc.), making it more difficult for employees to prevail in job discrimination lawsuits against your organization. By law, employers are typically pr

In effect, “unemployment” status joins a growing list of protected categories in NYC which includes discrimination based on an employee’s actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, disability, age, partnership status, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status and status as a victim of domestic violence, sex offenses and stalking. The amendment prohibits an employer from making any employment decision based on a job applicant’s unemployment status.